As is well known, the bed of a trampoline or similar apparatus is suspended from framework by means of a large number of coil springs or elastic cords to provide the requisite resiliency for the bed. The springs or cords are hooked at one end to the frame members and at the other end to the edges of the bed. So that the springs or cords can be easily replaced or the bed readily detached, simple open hooks are used, formed integrally on the ends of the springs or clamped to the ends of the cords, as the case may be. Invariably, the open ends of the metal hooks are sharp, and though the springs or cords are attached so that the hook ends are generally just to the rear of the working face of the bed, they nevertheless constitute an ever present hazard to a performer should his hand or foot inadvertently slip between adjacent springs or cords. It is not feasible to round over or further blunt the hook ends during their manufacture owing to the time and effort that would be involved and the great number of springs or cords required. Even were that done, there is doubt whether it would really be sufficiently effective to preclude injury under the circumstances referred to. Instead, therefore, other approaches have been tried.
One is to dip the hooks so that they, including their ends, are covered with a protective coating of elastomeric nature. The trouble with this, however, is that the coating tends to wear off rather rapidly during use, especially in the areas of the hook which engage the moorings provided for them along the frame members and the edges of the bed. Even at the ends of the hook, the coating is not always adequate, and any severe contact with them tends to cause the metal to tear through and protrude from the coating. Besides, the coating of course increases the diameter of the hooks and thus the difficulty of getting them through the moorings along the bed and the frame unless these are specially enlarged. Another approach has been to cover the hook ends with elastomeric knobs. These would be satisfactory except that they too readily become detached and lost. Some times, even, they are idly pulled off and not replaced by persons standing around the apparatus. In any event, the knobs must be applied after the springs are in place and must be laboriously removed one by one before the springs can be detached.
Despite the fact that the problem has persisted literally for many years no really effective and practical solution has previously emerged. The matter has become more acute owing to impending regulations requiring protective covers for the ends of all springs used on trampolines and like apparatus where injury might otherwise occur. The design of effective such covers, which are both economical to provide and practical to use, is thus the primary object of the present invention.